xxviii 
Tenth Annual Report of the 
Damage to 
nets, boats, 
and sailing 
gear. 
Damage sus- 
tained outside 
and inside 
territorial 
waters. 
Results 
satisfactory. 
Amount of 
damages. 
Fishermen 
whose boats 
or gear are 
damaged 
should com- 
plain to 
officers. 
Great impor- 
tance of this 
matter to 
fishermen. 
of collision and consequent damage to boats were reported on, and 
satisfactorily settled. There were 15 eomplaints'against fishing boats 
for damage to nets, 6 for the same offence against trawlers, and 4 
against other vessels, which, together with 11 complaints of damage 
to boats and sailing gear, were all settled to the satisfaction of the 
different persons concerned. 
Sixty-three of the total number of cases arose from damage 
sustained outside the territorial waters, while 24 occurred inside; 
and in one case the locality was not ascertained. Of these, the 
Board's fishery officers investigated 78, the commander of the 
1 Vigilant' cruiser 4, the commander of H.M.S. 'Jackal ' 3, and the 
commander of H.M.S. ' Watchful ' 3. 
It is satisfactory to note that only in 3 cases was it found necessary 
to have recourse to legal proceedings, and in these cases the Sheriff 
found none of the accused parties liable for the damage done, his 
decisions being in accordance with the findings in the officers' reports. 
A great deal of expense was thus saved to the fishermen through 
the instrumentality of the Board's officers. Damages amounting 
altogether to upwards of £260 were awarded. 
The Board would here repeat the recommendation which they 
made in the last Report, that any fisherman whose boats, nets, 
lines, or fishing gear are damaged by a trawler or other fishing 
boat, should immediately complain to the fishery officer of the 
district, or to any of the commanders of the superintending 
cruisers, who will, in terms of Act of Parliament, inquire into 
the circumstances of the complaint, and furnish a report setting 
forth, as far as possible, the particulars thereof, stating the amount 
of damage done, and who is in fault. In the event of both parties 
being satisfied with the report, the matter may be settled in terms 
thereof ; but if an arrangement is not made, then the party who 
has sustained damage may take the case into court, and have the 
question tried and decided by the Sheriff, the officer's report forming 
part of the evidence. 
This recommendation is all the more pressed upon fishermen, as 
by such inquiries and reports they are usually enabled to get a 
settlement of the damage they sustain without having recourse to 
legal proceedings, or incurring any expense ; and, indeed, it would 
appear that the cases already decided have had the effect of making 
trawlers and other fishing boats more careful to avoid doing 
injury to each other. 
BRANDING OF HERRINGS. 
Rearrangement Since the year 1809, when the former Board were entrusted with 
brands™ administration of the Government Crown Brand for cured 
herrings, the brand has from time to time undergone many changes, 
to suit the requirements of the trade and of the public; and, in 
order to still further meet the wants of Continental buyers 
who consumed 98*96 per cent, of all the herrings branded in 
Scotland last year, the Board in 1890 rearranged the different 
Revised regu- crown brands, and issued revised regulations for the guidance of 
lations issued. their 0 ffi cers an a fc h e trade. 
During the season of 1891, 270,701 barrels of herrings were pre- 
